Reserve container



June 16, 1964 BRENNEISEN 3,137,426

RESERVE CONTAINER Filed Nov. 17, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig.5. 467,) 36-3 38 7 p;

INVENTOR L 6072 Brerzwea sen Attorneys United States Patent 3,137,426RESERVE CONTAINER Leon Brenncisen, Basel, Switzerland, assignor toForschungs Anstalt fner Mechanik, Basel, Switzerland Filed No 17, 1961,Ser. No. 153,026 Claims priority, application Germany Nov. 24, 1960 6Claims. (Cl. 226) This invention relatesto reserve containers for thewire or band used in machines for applying strappingmateria'l around apackage.

Such machines are used for sealing boxes, bales or other packages with asteel wire or band which is continuously unwound from a reel. The reelsused for tying large parcels or bales are usually heavy and are not,therefore, easily removed so that a considerable amount of time is usedfor unwinding the lengths of wire or band required for each parcel. Toovercome this difliculty it has been found to be advantageous to arrangea container for reserve lengths of wire between the reel and theapparatus on which the wire is wound around the parcel, and successivelengths of wire or band unwound from the reel are carried into thiscontainer. Known containers of this type usually consist of arectangular or square-metal frame provided on either side with a sheetmetal wall. The clearance between the two side walls is only slightlygreater than the width of the wire or band. The wire or band .isintroduced into the container through an inlet duct in the frame and isremoved from the frame through an outlet duct. One of the side walls ofthe frame is 3,137,426 Patented June 16, 1964 point. This produces aconsiderable amount of friction between the intersecting wire strandsand the side walls so that the loops of wire will get jammed,particularly since the coefiicient of friction between steel wire andthe sheet metal walls is relatively high.

The present invention overcomes. these difliculties by providing areserve container for successively accommokept absolutely parallel toone another by the frame and thereforepossible to make the distancebetween the glass composed, either entirely or partly, of a door whichmay be closed and opened so that at the beginning of the operation theoperator can open the door and thread the Wire or band through the inletduct and take the front end of the wire and push it out through theoutlet duct and then close the door. When the machine is in continuousoperation, a length of wire at least'suflicient for tying up the parcelis automatically introduced into 'the container and then removed at therequired speed to form a loop around the parcel or bale. Then follows atime interval required for tightening the wire around the parcel andclosing the loop and during this interval, the reserve of wire or bandin the container may be replenished at the desired relatively smallerspeed so that by the time one parcel is tied the container isreplenished and ready to supply the next unit length of wire or bandwithout any loss of time.

In practice, however, containers of the type described above have beenfound satisfactory only in strapping machines using bands but not inthose using round, oval or fiat wire, because the wire has a tendency tobecome,

ative to the width of the bands and at the same time the bands have amuch greater resistance to bending in the transverse direction so that aband will easily be arranged in separate loops as it is continuously setinto the container and there will be no stoppages in the operationwhereas in the case of oval or flat wires their resistance L to bendingin a direction transversely to the container is much smaller so that itis not possible to prevent the Wire being bent in that direction.Moreover, a relatively small increase in the transverse width of thecontainer may be sufiicient to cause two adjacent wire loops to cross atthat are not used as doors; consequently,the distance between the twoplates may be kept quite constant. Moreover, the adjacent glass surfaceshave a very small frictional resistance and great hardness relative tosteel wire. It is plates very small so that there is only a'relativelysmall clearance between the plates and the wire and this clearance isthen for allpractical purposes constant. This eliminates the tendency ofadjacent strips of wires to intersect when wire is pushed intothecontainer; moreover, the

adjacent lengths of wire will not get jammed because thefrictional'resistance is so small.

In the accompanying'drawings which show a constructional exampleembodying the subject of the invention;

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic side view,

FIGURE 2 shows thellower part of the container 'on a 7 larger scale,partly in median longtiudinal section,

FIGURE 3 is a cross-section-on the .line IIIIII in FIGURE 2, FIGURE 4 isa cross-section on the line FIGURE 2 on a larger scale, and

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to that shown in FIGURE lot a modifiedembodiment.

FIGURE 1 shows a conventional stirrup-shaped bar 1 of a wire strappingmachine not itself shown in the drawing. The bar 1 is-mounted on a table2 along which articles to be strappedare moved successively under thearch formed by the bar. The bar contains a continuous duct through whichstrapping material in the form of steel wire 3 is moved. This duct canbe opened to the inside and ends in a groove 4 extending across thetable 2 so that by inserting the wire 3 by means of a pair of drivingrollers 5 into the groove 4 and then through the duct in the bar 1, aloop may be formed in the usual manner and can then--be placed round aparcel or the like and tied firmly'on to it. The length of wire requiredto form the loop is taken from a containerfi arranged beside the barl.This container 6 comprises a framewhich is U-shaped in section with theopening facing inwardly. Two glass plates 7 and8 forming parallel sidewalls as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4 are inserted into the frame and fixedin position by distance pieces 9 so that they are kept at apredetermined and perfectly uniform distance from one another. A lowerbar 10 of the frame shown in FIGURE 2 has a central aperture which isclosed by a detachable insert 11. This insert 11 is composed of the twoarms 12 and 17 at right angles in section, as shown in FIGURES, a part12 placed transversely to the glass plates 7, 8 being traversed byvertical tubes 13 and 14 which also passes through a support 15 for theglass plates 7, 8 lying on the horizontal portion of the bar 10. Thetube 14 forms an inlet duct and the tube 13 an outlet duct for the wireloop 16. Another arm 17 of the insert 11 is parallel to the glass plates7, 8 and is reinforced on-the outside by a longitudinal bar 18 Welded on,to it and which has at eachend in I projections 19 and Zti'respectivelywhich overlap a corresponding flange 21 of the bar it The projections19, 2t and the flange 21 of the frame have open longitudinal slits Hand23 respectively. An assembly screw 24 at each projection 19, 2t) passesthrough the slits 22, 23 which are in alignment with one another, and asquare headld of each screw 24 moves in a longitudinal groove 26 on theinner surface of the flange 21 as shown in FIGURE 4. Thus, the screws 24cannot be rotated, but are longitudinally displaceable. Each screw 24has a nut 27 which can be manipulated by hand and, when tightened, itfixes the projections 19, tightly to' the flange 21. The slits 23 of theflange are long enough to enable the screws 24 to be removed from theslits 22 of the projections after the nuts 27 have been loosened and thenut cooperating with the projections 19, also comes out of engagementwith the projections. In this position, the insert 11 is loosened andcan be removed. This is necessary whenever a new wire has to be pushedthrough the inlet duct 14 and out through the outlet duct 13. A verysimple method has thus been found for threading the wire outside thecontainer. The insert 11 is then replaced into the aperture in the frameand fixed in position by pushing back the nut 27 and tightening it.

A bearing block 23 (FIGURE 2) on which a twoarmed lever is swingableabout an axis 29 transversely to the bar ll of the frame, is disposed onthe web orhorizontalportion of the bar 19. A longer lever arm 30 passesthrough a slot in this portion of the frame and then into I the space tobetween the glass plates land 8 and a shorter lever arm 31 projectsdownwardly and is provided at its free end with a counterweight 32 whichtends to swing the lever in a counterclockwise direction about the axis29 into a position of rest in which the arm 35) takes up the position 3%shown in dash-dot lines. The lever arm 31 is in contact with one arm ofa lever'33 which operates a switch for driving the pair of rollers 35.The switch, which is not shown in the drawing, is disposed in a housing34. The pair of rollers 35 is used for inserting the wire 16 into theinlet duct ML The switch is so constructed that it closes the drivingcurrent circuit when the arm 3t) of the-lever is in the position of rest30. This lever arm 36 acts as feeler responding to the extent to whichthe container is filled; as shown diagrammatically in FIG- -URE 2, thewire which is pushed into the container by the pair of rollers 35 in theprocess of filling the container will sooner or later bear against thisfeeler 3t and the torque exerted on the feeler 39 will increase as thecontainer fills. The weight 32 is so designed and adjusted that when thecontainer is filled with a predetermined amount of wire Q driving thepair of rollers 35 is thereby opened and the supply of wire is stopped.I

As shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, the outside of the glass plate 8 isprotected by a wall 47 spaced a slight distance from the plate 8 andfixed to the corresponding flange of the frame. This protective wall orcover d7 is arranged on that side of the container which is more exposedand in greater danger when the apparatus is in operation. .Another suchwall may, of course,'be provided in a similar manner on the other sideof the container so that both glass plates are protected. This wall maybe made, for example, of plywood. The glass plates themselves are strongenough to withstand the conditions of operation even without aprotective Wall. The thickness of the glass used depends on the size ofthe plates and may suitably be about 8 min. on the average.

In the embodiment shown in FIGURE 5, an inlet duct 36 for the wire is inan upper bar 37 of the frame of the container and an outlet duct 38 isat the opposite end at the corner formed by the end of the bar 37 and anadjacent vertical bar 39. "The frame is otherwise completely closed. Awire guiding device for threadingthe acts as feeler to control theextent to which the container 'is filled with wire loops and in thisrespect has the same function as the lever arm 39 described above withreference to FIGURE 2. When the lever 44 shown in FIG- URE 5 is in itsposition of rest, it is secured against swinging in a clockwisedirection by means such as a stop. 48. The length of the lever arm 44-is such that its free end in this position acts also as stop for thelever arm 43, which has such an inclination relative to the bar 37 thatthe front end of the wire 40 pushed through the inlet duct 36 isdeflected by the lever 43 to the corner between the bars 37 and 41 andis guided through the bar 37 and hence automaticallydirected through theoutlet duct 38:

formed by the end portion of the said slot. 7

When the wire has been threaded, the switch lever is turned in theanticlockwise direction from outside until the lever 43 loses'itssupport and, sliding. away from it, p is swung under its own weight inthe anticlockwise direction about the axis 42. The length of the slit'inthe bar 41 is such that the lever arm 43, moving into the verticalposition towards the end of its swing, completely fills the part of theslit in the bar 41. The shorter lever arm will then be in the position46 indicated in dashdot lines in FEGURE 5, in which it projects beyondthe frame sufiiciently to be able to be used as handle to return theleverrarm 43 into the position for threading as shown in FIGURE 5. Whenthe lever arm thereby encounters the arm 44 of the feeler, the feelerwill momen tarily move out of the way and return behind the lever arm 43into the position'of rest as shown so that when the lever arm 46 isreleased, the lever arm 43 will auto-' matically take up thepredetermined threading position as indicated in FIGURE 5.

What I claim is:

l. A reserve container for successively accommodatl ing a length ofstrappingmaterial unwound from a reel of a strapping machine, comprisinga frame, two parallel glass plates mounted and arranged in the frame inspaced relation to form side walls, and said frame having an inlet andan outlet for the strapping material, an outlet duct 7 I and an inletduct in the framecooperating with the outlet .and the inlet for thestrapping material, and the frame having an aperture therein and adetachable insert is providedin the frame to close the aperture in theframe, the

outlet-and inlet being mounted in the insert.

2. In a strapping machine for applying to a package,

a strapping wire supplied from a plurality of loops of predeterminedlength from a reel, a reserve container for said wire comprising aframe, two parallel glass plates forming walls for the passage'of saidwire therethrough and an aperture in the'frame, and a detachable insertto close said aperture and including a first part transverse to saidglass walls and a second part parallel to said glass walls, said firstpart having an inlet duct communicating with'the space between saidplates and an outlet duct.

lapping adjacent fianges of said'fraine and being detachably connectedthereto. V 4. A reserve container for successively accommodat- Moreover,an arm 44 of a two-armed switch 1 ing a length of strapping materialunwound from a reel of a strapping machine, comprising a frame, twoparallel glass plates mounted and arranged in the frame in spacedrelation to form side walls, and said frame having an inlet and anoutlet for the strapping material, an internal wire guiding devicemounted on the frame which can be moved from outside the frame into aposition of rest which does not obstruct the accommodation of a loop ofstrapping material and also into a threading position in which saidstrapping material is pushed through said inlet and is deflected towardssaid outlet.

5. In a strapping machine for applying a strapping wire to a packagesupplied from a reel in predetermined loop lengths, a reserve containerfor said wire comprising a frame, two parallel glass side walls in theframe, a bar having a longitudinal slot and a second bar, a wire inletduct in said second bar, a wire outlet duct in said secondmentioned bar,a wire guiding device in the frame for deflecting said wire to saidoulet duct, and a lever swingably mounted on said frame for controllingthe feed of said wire and movable into an inoperable position, as tosaid longitudinal slot of said first-mentioned bar in order to closesaid slot and into a threading position in which References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,259,517 Drenkard Oct. 21,1941 2,679,394 Lear May 25, 1954 2,699,089 Jakobs etal. Jan. 11, 19552,748,692 Osgood et a1. June 5, 1956 2,843,285 Dodson July 15, 19582,912,099 Brouse et al Nov. 10, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 225,413 AustraliaNov. 10, 1959

2. IN A STRAPPING MACHINE FOR APPLYING TO A PACKAGE A STRAPPING WIRESUPPLIED FROM A PLURALITY OF LOOPS OF PREDETERMINED LENGTH FROM A REEL,A RESERVE CONTAINER FOR SAID WIRE COMPRISING A FRAME, TWO PARALLEL GLASSPLATES FORMING WALLS FOR THE PASSAGE OF SAID WIRE THERETHROUGH AND ANAPERTURE IN THE FRAME, AND A DETACHABLE INSERT TO CLOSE SAID APERTUREAND INCLUDING A FIRST PART TRANSVERSE TO SAID GLASS WALLS AND A SECONDPART PARALLEL TO SAID GLASS WALLS, SAID FIRST PART HAVING AN INLET DUCTCOMMUNICATING WITH THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID PLATES AND AN OUTLET DUCT.